3 ms·

Why do you need a custom VPN client to do this?

by tjpnz 4y ago

dathinab 4y ago
Basically a VPN running something like pi-hole for you.
- tjpnz 4y ago
  But why do I need an app to connect to it when VPN connectivity is part of Android?
  - rcMgD2BwE72F 4y ago
    Because that's the only way to do ad blocking for all apps without actually connecting to a remote VPN. Blokada works great for that and Google, an advertising company, does not like that. Same for DNS66: >The app establishes a VPN service, with routes for all DNS servers diverted to it. The VPN service then intercepts the packages for the servers and forwards any DNS queries that are not blacklisted. >Custom upstream DNS can be configured. If the feature is turned off, the current connection's DNS servers are used. The app ships are pre-defined list of well known (mostly German) non-logging servers courtesy of the Chaos Computer Club. https://github.com/julian-klode/dns66#user-content-how-it-works https://github.com/julian-klode/dns66#user-content-how-it-wo...
  - codedokode 4y ago
    Because VPN doesn't connect to any servers and runs locally, just filtering the traffic between apps and Internet. "VPN" here is not a real VPN client, but an application that can capture traffic created by apps. As I understand, Android doesn't provide other means to implement a firewall.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - smilliken 4y ago
    Because the vpn client and server run locally, with no remote dependency. This is how NetGuard and many others work.
codedokode 4y ago
As I understand, VPN acts as a firewall replacement.
syrrim 4y ago
The VPN is not a separate vpn running on a server, but instead one running locally. The custom vpn client is both a vpn client and the vpn itself.
jeroenhd 4y ago
Android does not expose a firewall API. It does expose a VPN API that lets the developers choose how to handle traffic. This can be useful for VPNs that only want to connect to intranet websites through the VPN and let the rest of the traffic go through the normal route. Adblockers use this API to block connections, redirect DNS traffic, or possibly even rewrite content for DNS lookups. There is no system wide content blocker and even if there was, there is no way to enforce applications to use a content-blockable network API.

Why do you need a custom VPN client to do this?

by tjpnz 4y ago

Why do you need a custom VPN client to do this?

dathinab 4y ago

Basically a VPN running something like pi-hole for you.

tjpnz 4y ago
But why do I need an app to connect to it when VPN connectivity is part of Android?
- rcMgD2BwE72F 4y ago
  Because that's the only way to do ad blocking for all apps without actually connecting to a remote VPN. Blokada works great for that and Google, an advertising company, does not like that. Same for DNS66: >The app establishes a VPN service, with routes for all DNS servers diverted to it. The VPN service then intercepts the packages for the servers and forwards any DNS queries that are not blacklisted. >Custom upstream DNS can be configured. If the feature is turned off, the current connection's DNS servers are used. The app ships are pre-defined list of well known (mostly German) non-logging servers courtesy of the Chaos Computer Club. https://github.com/julian-klode/dns66#user-content-how-it-works https://github.com/julian-klode/dns66#user-content-how-it-wo...
- codedokode 4y ago
  Because VPN doesn't connect to any servers and runs locally, just filtering the traffic between apps and Internet. "VPN" here is not a real VPN client, but an application that can capture traffic created by apps. As I understand, Android doesn't provide other means to implement a firewall.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- smilliken 4y ago
  Because the vpn client and server run locally, with no remote dependency. This is how NetGuard and many others work.

codedokode 4y ago

As I understand, VPN acts as a firewall replacement.

syrrim 4y ago

The VPN is not a separate vpn running on a server, but instead one running locally. The custom vpn client is both a vpn client and the vpn itself.

jeroenhd 4y ago

Android does not expose a firewall API. It does expose a VPN API that lets the developers choose how to handle traffic. This can be useful for VPNs that only want to connect to intranet websites through the VPN and let the rest of the traffic go through the normal route. Adblockers use this API to block connections, redirect DNS traffic, or possibly even rewrite content for DNS lookups. There is no system wide content blocker and even if there was, there is no way to enforce applications to use a content-blockable network API.